5 Easy Ways to Identify Key Signatures: Sharps

Any piece of music is written in key signatures. Key signatures are the arrangement of sharps or flats on lines and spaces on a musical staff to indicate that the corresponding notes are to be consistently raised (by sharps) or lowered (by flats) from their natural pitches.

Key signatures help to identify the notes that are found in the major scale. It will also help to identify the notes found in the minor scale as well.

The information discussed is relevant to the major key signature and not the minor keys. Finding key signature for flats use a different method

In this lesson, we will go over 5 easy ways to identify key signatures based on the number of the sharps.

Piano, Voice, and Songwriting students find it difficult to remember what key signature the music is written in. You will learn 5 easy ways to identify the key signature based on the number of sharps. I go over this in all lessons including online music lessons.

If the note is F# the next note one half-step above F# is G. Therefore, the music is written in the key of G.

#2: Order sharps are added

Sharps are added in order

F – C – G – D – A – E – B

Such that if the key has one sharp, that sharp will be “F”.

If the key has two sharps, the “F” is added first, then the “C”. Sharps are never added out of order. You will never see “C” then “F” or “A” “C” then “F”

To remember this, you can use a mnemonic. A mnemonic, also known as a memory aid, is a tool that helps you remember an idea or phrase with a pattern of letters or numbers, or other associations. We can use the mnemonic, “Fat cats go down alleys eating birds.” The first letter of the mnemonic matches the order in which the note is added as sharps.

Keys of F# & C# are the only ones that have sharps in their names. The easiest way to remember this is “Free Candy.” We will discuss this later in the lesson.

#3: Number of strokes it takes to write the capitalized letter

Some signatures can be remembered by the number of strokes it takes to write the capitalized letter. For example, to write the letter D, it takes 2 strokes to write the letter D. Therefore, the key of D has 2 sharps in it. Using the mnemonic, F and C are sharp.

This is only relevant for G, D, A, & E.

#4: The letters of the alphabet

The 7 letters in a musical scale are the first 7 letters of the alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. If the last note that is sharp in the key is C. The next letter in the alphabet is D. Therefore, the music is written in D major.

#5: The notes on piano keys

You can use a piano keyboard to find the key. Similar to #1 and #4, you can look at the piano key and go up one half-step to find which key the music is written in.

Key of F# and C#

The key of F# and C# are the only two that are written with the sharp as the key signature. This is because the location of the note below F and C (E and B) are whole steps and not half-steps. Raising it one half-step gives us E and C. Because there is already a key of E and C, and other music theory we won’t go into), we name these F# and C#

Recap

Key signatures help to identify the notes that are found in the major scale.

We used 5 easy ways to identify the key signature when it has sharps:

Location of the sharp on the staff (move 1/2 step up)

The number in which the sharps are added

The number of strokes it takes to create the letter

The next letter in the alphabet

The notes on the piano key

Watch the video for full review of information

Test your knowledge of how well you can identify key signatures: sharps.

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Question 1 of 10

1. Question

Which key has no flats or sharps?

G

C

H

B

Correct

Incorrect

Question 2 of 10

2. Question

For key signatures with sharps, the key signature is the note name one-half step above the __ sharp.

First

Last

Second to the last

Correct

Incorrect

Question 3 of 10

3. Question

Sharps are added in order. What note would be sharp next?

F – C – G – D – X

E

B

A

Correct

Incorrect

Question 4 of 10

4. Question

You can identify the key signature by the number of strokes it takes to create the capital letter.

How many strokes does it take to create the letter “E”

1

2

3

4

Correct

Incorrect

Question 5 of 10

5. Question

What notes are sharp in the key of A?

Indicate all that are correct.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

Correct

Incorrect

Question 6 of 10

6. Question

What is the key signature?

E

F#

G

B

Correct

Incorrect

Question 7 of 10

7. Question

If the last sharp is A# in the key signature, what key is the music in?

C#

A#

A

B

Correct

Incorrect

Question 8 of 10

8. Question

If the key is C# put the order in which the notes would appear in the key signature

F

C

G

D

A

E

B

Correct

Incorrect

Question 9 of 10

9. Question

Which key would have the following notes (they are not in order)?

F# B C# E – A – D# – G#

C

D

B

E

F#

Correct

Incorrect

Question 10 of 10

10. Question

The last sharp in the key of F is E#. If you move it a half step up, it is F. We don’t call it F, we call it F#. What reason best describes why?

Because there the 1/2 step above E# is F and there is already a key signature of F